High exercise levels but eat and drink too much rubbish - a possible plan

richarddlord
richarddlord Posts: 3 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
Here is my problem, I'm very active and ran 1500km in 2014, but during marathon training (Aug to Oct) put on a stone and a half. Post marathon, I lost my pace and kept putting weight on slowly.

I replaced my old bathroom scales today with new digital scales that showed I was 3/4 stone heavier than I thought. Hence this milestone to get it all sorted and lose what I need to in 2015/16

Age: 39
Gender: Male
Height: 175cm
Weight: 111kg / 222 lb
Target Weight: 76kg / 152 lb.
Work pattern: Office hours, desk based
Exercise: run regularly, usually 4 days a week 30-50 mins. Regular participate in races, 5k, 10k, half marathons and done one marathon.
Body fat: 15.2%
Body water: 55.6%
Muscle Mass: 40.2%
BMI: 36.3
BMR: 2206 Kcal

Bad habits: bacon sandwiches each work morning, drinking coke 1.5 litres per day, usually buy sandwiches out each lunchtime.

By looking to lose 0.8kg per week by counting my calories, by cutting out coke during week days, by eating weetabix or an omelette for breakfasts, I hope to reverse the problem and take a grip of my issue. I will look to increase my water intake instead of the coke. MFP is recommending 1990 calories with 50% carbs, 20% protein, 30% fat. Is that about right for what I'm aiming for?

Is there anything that stands out as not advisable with all the above? Is there anything further I could be doing? Are any of the figures (other than weight and BMI) that I need to be worried about?

Any of your help whatsoever will be very much appreciated.

Replies

  • katherine_startrek_fan
    katherine_startrek_fan Posts: 425 Member
    Not sure where you get your lunches from, but usually you can greatly reduce calories by making your lunch and bringing it with you to work. As an added bonus, it's usually less expensive!
  • richarddlord
    richarddlord Posts: 3 Member
    Hi katherine, I usually grab something from the usual places about town, Subway, Greggs etc, so yes it will be better if I got something from home made.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    You don't need to cut anything out - you just need to eat at a defecit

    You could make yourself a bacon toastie for around 400 calories if you want ...fat-trimmed grilled bacon, 5g butter, kingsmill farmhouse, brown sauce

    Instead of grabbing a Greggs sandwich grab a healthier choice one from a supermarket, boots or M&S and scan the barcode...or make your own

    The only thing that counts is calorie defecit ...not deprivation ...make it work for you
  • Hollywood_Porky
    Hollywood_Porky Posts: 491 Member
    Yeah, I would kill the coke entirely (no weekends either), no simple carbs, kill all Subway and equivalent, kill bread, and eat clean. Bacon is fine but kill the bread if you are truly trying to cut your weight down. Bread is good for maintenance, not loss. Fresh veggies, fruits, lean meats, nuts, and plenty of water. That's a good base to start losing weight.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Just an FYI but 111KGs is actually 244.2 lbs, and 76kgs is 167 lbs
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    tedboosalis7 wrote: »
    Yeah, I would kill the coke entirely (no weekends either), no simple carbs, kill all Subway and equivalent, kill bread, and eat clean. Bacon is fine but kill the bread if you are truly trying to cut your weight down. Bread is good for maintenance, not loss. Fresh veggies, fruits, lean meats, nuts, and plenty of water. That's a good base to start losing weight.

    You don't need to cut carbs unless you want to!
  • lawlifehanna
    lawlifehanna Posts: 90 Member
    erickirb wrote: »
    Just an FYI but 111KGs is actually 244.2 lbs, and 76kgs is 167 lbs

    Yup, 1lb is 0.454kg. Thinking 2lb=1kg works when talking about small quantities or numbers that don't need to be overly specific, but not when it's about actual body weight.

    Also, 20% protein sounds low. I would eat a little more protein and a little less carbs.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I wouldn't cut anything, I would use moderation. Eat at a deficit and you'll lose.
  • Genetic_Drift
    Genetic_Drift Posts: 12 Member
    I think you're already doing all the right things, and most importantly acknowledging the issues and understanding what needs to change.

    If it's non-diet coke you're drinking, cutting it out or switching to diet will cut 660 calories out of your day straight away. That's huge.

    If you're buying sandwiches out at lunch, check the calories (Subway and Greggs should say) and log them, if anything just to be aware of what you're eating. Be mindful and choose lower calorie options if you can. Just logging absolutely everything you ingest makes you aware of what you're eating, and you can go from there towards making more changes from there.

    If you don't mind me asking, how did you measure or predict body fat percentage? That is quite a low measurement and if correct implies that you're carrying a lot of muscle rather than fat, which would mean your BMI is less of a concern. However, in the nicest possible way and with all due respect, for what you're describing that measurement seems low.

    I think the MFP estimates all seem fine, it may be a change but you can do it. In any case, I wish you the best of luck with meeting your goals.
  • routehero
    routehero Posts: 9 Member
    I'd tone down the coke consumption.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    More protein; less coke.

    I have my macros set at 30 or 40% protein and always go over.
  • heftybelson
    heftybelson Posts: 30
    Mate you sound like my double, I eat tonnes but also exercise tonnes, till recently it was because I could get away with it. I ran a 12hr Ironman triathon in 2013 and have ran several marathons. Lat year after a number of injuries I have put on a stone or 3. Hence starting this lark... Like everyone else you need a calorie deficit and I guess its easier to eat less than run more.... but the running might be more fun. After all Greggs mmmmmmm
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    If you replace the coke with something non-calorie (water, tea, coffee, whatever) and replace a couple of the lunch sandwiches with salads each week, then that might be enough of a calorie drop without having to lose the morning bacon yumminess.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Remember "MFP is recommending 1990" means 1990 plus exercise calories not just 1990 calories a day.

    Macro percentages don't really make much sense when you have high exercise days.
    I much prefer minimums of 1g protein per lb of lean mass and 0.4g of fat per lb of total weight. The rest of your calories can fall wherever you like although on long run days I would keep carbs up.

    But beware no way are you 15% body fat with that height and weight - sorry your scales are lying to you! As a comparison I'm also 175cm, weigh 75kg and am about 16 - 18% BF.

    You don't have to cut anything out or eat "diet foods" to lose weight. Having said that reducing your coke consumption is an easy way to cut calories. All the supermarkets have a wide variety of calorie labelled meals for lunch. If you have access to a microwave you can get much wider variety of foods in rather than sandwiches every day.

    Nothing wrong with a bacon sandwich in the overal context of a diet by the way.



  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    Are you logging your calories and your exercise?

    If you set up MFP correctly and it is telling you to eat 1990 calories, you then also need to log your exercise. I recommend only logging half the calories MFP says you burn because it tends to overestimate what you burn. So on exercise days you will be eating more than 1990. Using this method your calorie deficit is already factored into how much you are eating. So if you are weighing your food/beverages and logging your calories and fitness - you will start losing weight. Assuming you are not eating over what MFP tells you ;)

    Now....I also am very active (upward of 7hrs a week cardio/HITT/strength training). And while you do not have to cut out crappy food to lose weight, I find it very hard to sustain an active lifestyle with a calorie deficit while eating crappy foods. Yes, I eat crap here and there. But the majority of my food is lean protein, whole grains, nuts, veggies and fruit. You get more food and nutrients per calorie with healthy food than you do with junk food. Junk food can also make me feel sluggish and crappy which makes getting the most out of my workout harder. As I lose weight and my calorie amount shrinks I find this becoming more and more of an issue. I keep looking for ways to improve my general eating habits so I actually feel good working out this much and eating at a calorie deficit.

    Best of luck!!!
  • richarddlord
    richarddlord Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you for the pointers about unit conversions, I usually only work in kg or stones generally.

    Switching away from coke to any other drink will be tough as with all addictions. The reliance and adjustment needed will be the harder part.

    Generic_Drift - measurement was from my new Salter digital scales. I have no ide how accurate it is, how would I be able to check elsewhere? From my doctor maybe?

    Heftybelson - I'm glad I'm not the only one in this position. It's hard to believe how I got like this. Getting that calorie deficit will help fix it now though I hope.

    Tcunbeliever - yes I'm hoping that making those few changes and being aware of what I'm consuming will mean I can have a few treats too.

    Still not sure about the carb / protein / fat splits - understanding it rather than questioning it. Still need to get my head round some likely meal plans that I intend to work to and see how that goes.

    Thank you all for your help and kind wishes.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    esjones12 wrote: »
    Are you logging your calories and your exercise?

    If you set up MFP correctly and it is telling you to eat 1990 calories, you then also need to log your exercise. I recommend only logging half the calories MFP says you burn because it tends to overestimate what you burn. So on exercise days you will be eating more than 1990. Using this method your calorie deficit is already factored into how much you are eating. So if you are weighing your food/beverages and logging your calories and fitness - you will start losing weight. Assuming you are not eating over what MFP tells you ;)

    Now....I also am very active (upward of 7hrs a week cardio/HITT/strength training). And while you do not have to cut out crappy food to lose weight, I find it very hard to sustain an active lifestyle with a calorie deficit while eating crappy foods. Yes, I eat crap here and there. But the majority of my food is lean protein, whole grains, nuts, veggies and fruit. You get more food and nutrients per calorie with healthy food than you do with junk food. Junk food can also make me feel sluggish and crappy which makes getting the most out of my workout harder. As I lose weight and my calorie amount shrinks I find this becoming more and more of an issue. I keep looking for ways to improve my general eating habits so I actually feel good working out this much and eating at a calorie deficit.

    Best of luck!!!

    He's a runner so calorie estimates should be pretty accurate.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    Are you going to replace the caffeine in the coke you were drinking with something else? Toughing it out is an option, but caffeine withdrawal has given me headaches. Another approach to consider is to replace the coke with another firm of caffeine and cut down slowly like over the course of a week or two.
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
    lisalsd1 wrote: »
    More protein; less coke.

    I have my macros set at 30 or 40% protein and always go over.

    I'd say ditto to this....plus consider adding in some resistance training that compliments your running goals. You'll be surprised by how much of a difference it will make in running performance and body composition.

  • cw106
    cw106 Posts: 952 Member
    your current dietary intake is nuts imo.
    bacon sarnies,greggs and subway are all ott and use up the majority of your daily calorie budget to lose .8kg weekly.
    have reduced from 106kg to 80kg in 6 months using mfp guidelines.
    diary is open,feel free to look for pointers.
    g luck.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I quit coke cold turkey and honestly it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe you could try flavored seltzer or something instead... or switch to diet coke.

    I don't see anything wrong with the bacon sandwich unless it's fried and there's a ton of butter or something... I mean it's something you could make at home for 400 calories or so, which is not an issue. When you eat out at lunch, look for nutrition info on what you're ordering, you can eat under 500 calories easily at Subway. The only thing with having two sandwiches a day is that it's a lot of calories used on bread, which really isn't filling for the calories.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    I switched from regular to Diet Coke and that helped me quit since Diet Coke is nasty but you still get the brown fizzy drink.

    OMG I would kill for a fountain Coke right now. It's been at least a year.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    BMR is basal metabolic rate, so I'm assuming that you meant TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). You shouldn't and MFP doesn't set your caloric goal below your BMR to lose weight.

    Other than that, do you do weight training? Trying to build muscle mass would help burn more calories. Shoot for eating about 1g per lb of lean body mass. This will look like a lot, but it will help to fill you up really quickly. Also, like everyone else said...water, water, water! :)

    Good luck!
  • Genetic_Drift
    Genetic_Drift Posts: 12 Member
    Rdlord75 wrote: »
    Generic_Drift - measurement was from my new Salter digital scales. I have no ide how accurate it is, how would I be able to check elsewhere? From my doctor maybe?

    Hey Rdlord75,

    Check out this article about body fat percentage: nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/02/body-fat-percentage/

    The pictures are really the most helpful bit; they give you an idea of what different body fat percentages look like.

    I use digital scales for the same purpose; they're roughly accurate but they're not the most accurate way to measure, and can vary with your water levels. The article compares several methods, I think scales are good for the price and convenience vs accuracy trade off. I'd check the instructions for your particular scales in case they have any specific requirements on using the body fat percentage measurement.

    This is a prediction of what your body fat percentage would be given the stats you provided, based on US FDA/CDC standards. Again, if you're super muscled then the prediction will be way off. wolframalpha.com/input/?i=male+age+39+height+175cm+weight+111kg
  • peter7361
    peter7361 Posts: 20 Member
    Rdlord75 wrote: »
    Switching away from coke to any other drink will be tough as with all addictions. The reliance and adjustment needed will be the harder part.

    Giving up the coke is probably one of the best diet changes that you can make. 1.5 liters a day is an additional 600 calories. Even if that's the only change you make, that's 4200 calories per week, which works out to approximately 1.2 lbs (.544 kg) per week that you'd lose, assuming you're currently eating at maintenance level. Cutting out coke isn't easy to do at first, but after a few days, you'll start to wonder why you ever drank it in the first place. If you need the caffeine, there are plenty of teas or coffee that can fill the void that don't have all the sugar and calories of coke.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories